Goes Before A Fall
by QuickSilverFox3
Summary: Kingsley is a new Auror, intent on proving himself to his new bosses. He will be proud of himself when he suceeds. Moody has other ideas. [Kingsley & Moody]


**School: **Hogwarts Year 2**  
Technique:** Action Beats and Dialogue Tags

**Prompt: **The Warlock's Hairy Heart - [emotion] Pride  
**WC: **783

"Good job lad," Moody growled. He punctuated his sentence by clapping the seated Kingsley on his shoulder, before stalking away once more.

His leg thunked heavily on the floor, a few nervous looking trainee Aurors flattening themselves against the walls long before he passed them. Kingsley ducked his head behind his paperwork to hide his grin, blush hidden on his dark cheeks.

Footsteps, fast and quick, scurried across the floor towards and Kinglsey sighed, good mood disappearing in a heartbeat.

"Well, _I_ don't know what all the fuss is about," Travis Savage announced. "It was only luck."

"How many Death Eaters have you caught, Savage?" Kingsley asked airily. "Oh wait," he continued before Savage could think of a retort, "zero isn't it?"

Savage's face purpled dramatically, open mouth snapping closed with a click as heads began to turn. Whispers rustled round the room, the story twisting and expanding even as Savage turned on his heel and stacked back to his desk. By the end of the afternoon, it would morph into a duel which Kingsley won.

But that didn't matter. Kingsley could still feel the weight of Moody's hand on his shoulder, pride crackling through his veins anew. It didn't matter what Savage or any of the others thought, Kingsley deserved to be here. He would prove that.

⁂

"Shacklebolt."

"Sir?"

Kingsley waited, hands clasped behind his back as Moody stared up at him. Both eyes, magical and non-magical, were fixed on Kingsley and he felt a cold sense of dread settle into the pit of his stomach. He knew the stories about Moody, how could he not?

"It was a nice job you did, tracking down those Death Eaters," Moody growled. His magical eye rolled into the back of his head, revealing the clear artificial white.

Kingsley didn't react. Everything was a test, pushing you just to see how you reacted. That was the reason so many potential Aurors failed, but Kingsley was used to it by now. It was a difficult way to live, but it was all he had ever known.

"Thank you sir."

Moody waited, silence creating a void that begged to be filled. But Kingsley remained quiet, spotting the beginning of a grin begin to form on Moody's scarred face.

"That other lad," Moody waved his hand dismissively, "he's been crowing about taking down two Death Eaters." He was grinning like the cat that got the cream by the end of his sentence.

"But I haven't heard a peep out of you. Why is that?" Moody finished, eye returning to inspect Kingsley's face.

A shiver ran down his spine under the force of Moody's gaze, words threatening to leave his mind. It felt like pre exam nerves, stomach swooping as if he was standing at the top of a high cliff. Kingsley pulled in a deep breath, mind racing even as his face remained impassive.

"I don't know sir."

"Bullshit."

Kingsley blinked in surprise, fighting toi school his expression back into calm neutrality.

"Sir?"

"I've been watching you Shacklebolt."

Pride exploded in Kingsley's chest, worry close on its heels. Was this a good thing? People claimed Moody was difficult to read, but Kingsley didn't think so.

"You do your job, you do your colleague's jobs as well — lazy posh bastards the lot of them — and yet you say nothing." Moody began to walk down the corridor, gesturing for Kingsley to follow him with a quick jerk of his hand. "I want to know why."

"Some people would say pride in a job well done is it's own reward," Kingsley offered with a shrug of his shoulders.

Moody scoffed, watching him with his magical eye. "Is that what you say?"

"Partly. Pride will blind you to your faults, and I plan on getting better. Then I will be proud."

Moody stopped, Kingsley stopping with him, reading the older Auror's intent in the slight shift of his shoulders.

"You don't buy into all that pure blood, this house is better than this house nonsense, do you Shacklebolt?"

"No sir."

There was silence for a long moment. Kingsley's skin crawled with the unmistakable sensation of being watched.

"People always try to lie to me," Moody said. He twisted to face Kingsley, tapping the rim of his magical eye with one yellowing nail. "I can see when they lie."

"Report to the Auror's Office at 7 tomorrow morning Shacklebolt. Bring two cups of coffee with you from that Muggle Ginger Cafe. I take mine black and five sugars." Moody grinned, impossibly wider than before and Kingsley suddenly became aware that his brow was furrowed in confusion. "You're going to be my new protege lad. You can be proud of that."


End file.
